Sweet memories

We've lived in TN for a little over three years now and I still love driving up and down Walnut Grove/Shelby Farms as much as I did when we first moved here. There's something very soothing about driving down a road where you're constantly surrounded by nature, seasonal crops, walking trails, a fishing pond, etc. And this is by far one of my favorite sights:

Two years ago, as I was headed home from the hospital scared to death about the incredible new responsibility in our lives (Isabella) ~ wondering how we would do it (one day at a time), if we would be good parents (we work very hard every single day to be), how much our lives would change (seriously? it's easier to tell you how it hasn't). While ALL these uncertainties and insecurities were running through my mind, I look up and see nothing but a sea of beautiful giant sunflowers. Suddenly I felt like it would all be OK, I felt like we would be able to make it.

Since that day I love this time of year because of the sweet memories of Isabella's birth, my first-time mom nerves as I'm headed home and the inner-peace that this amazing sight brought to me (albeit, this inner peace didn't last very long thanks to the ugly face of postpartum or baby blues or whatever you want to call uncontrollable sobbing, combined with total self doubt, lack of sleep, and many other symptoms, but that's besides the point).

So this year I decided to capture some pictures of this amazing sight so that I could always remember what brought me a bit of hope and sunshine during such a nerve-wrecking time. We all went to get some shots this afternoon, and I'm so glad we did because it was so very peaceful and absolutely breath-taking.